Machine for coloring cigarette wrappers



Jan. 2, 1945. FRlEDWAl-D 2,366,187

MACHINE FOR COLORING CIGARETTE WRAPPERS Filed Dec. 51, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Tiqul. e

. INVENTOR. HARRY FRIEDWALD Jan. 2, 1945. H. FRIEDWALD MACHINE FOR COLORING CIGARETTE WRAPPERS Filed Dec. 31, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I\ R N y \\N. 1 x v Q\ \rz. h a Q INVENTOR. HARRY FRIEDWALD Patented Jan. 2, T945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR COLORING CIGARETTE WRAPPERS 22 Claims.

The invention relates to an attachment to a cigarette making machine preferably of the continuous rod type for coloring the wrappers of such cigarettes.

There is at present a demand among women cigarette smokers for a colored cigarette and some attempts have been made to meet this demand without any noticeable commercial success. structurally such known forms of colored cigarettes have not been as satisfactory as the usual white wrapper cigarettes. This has been due at least in part to the fact that the cigarette manufacturers have simply substituted an all colored paper for the usual cigarette paper now in general use with the conventional white wrapper cigarettes. The white cigarette paper now in general use has been carefully constructed both chemically and physically to meet very exacting requirements. For instance, it must be an extremely thin tissue and yet have atensile strength to permit it to be drawn under tension of about sixty pounds through the cigarette making machine without rupturing; it must have a rate of burning equal to that of its contained tobacco filling; it must burn substantially without ash and without odor; and, most important, it must be cheap.

An object of the invention is to provid an artistic form of colored cigarette which will retain all the structural advantages of the present highly developed form of white wrapper cigarette; which can be made with the usual cigarette forming machines following conventional practices and at the same time provide a cigarette having a bite end which women will not hesitate to place between their lips.

The invention herein featured contemplates utilizing the present commercial forms of these perfected cigarette papers as the basic wrapper material in order to retain their proven advantages and to treat the same to give them any of the desired colors without materially affecting their present advantages.

Among ce ain fastidious users, there is an objection to placing colored cigarette paper between their lips, this being based upon some feeling that perhaps the color would come off with some poisonous effect or that it would effect their lip rouge.

With reference to the apparatus feature of the disclosure, the primary object of the invention is to provide, a simple form of attachment for a conventional type of cigarette making machine and this attachment is organized to apply color to the wrapper forming paper web immediately before it is fed to the cigarette making machine and to color the web in such way as to provide the necessary form of colored area so as to provide the cigarette as above described, and at the sam time not to affect the normal and usual operation of the cigarette making machine in any way.

Applying wet coloring material to the thin cigarette paper as herein suggested has the eifect of causing the paper to expand but this expansion is not always uniform and is controlled, at least in part, by numerous variables; for instance, by variations in the basic paper stock, by variations in the fluidity of the color material as it is being applied, and, more particularly, by variations in the rate of drying of the wetted web after it has passed the color applying mechanism on its way to the cigarette forming machine.

It is the usual practice in the operation of cigarette machines of this character to provide cutting or severing means for cutting off the finally formed cigarette rod into commercial cigarette lengths. It is obviously necessary in the form of cigarettes herein featured that the succeeding lines along which the rod is cut must come at exactly prefixed points in the uncolored bands between the colored areas in order to provide the fixed lengths to the uncolored white ends herein featured.

Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide for an automatic control of the color mechanism so that this mechanism will locate the colored areas on the web in such positions that the severing device will successively cut the rod along accurately located lines across the uncoloredbands irrespective of any creeping or lagging of the wetted web between the color applying mechanism and the cigarette forming machine.

Broadly, this aspect of the invention is attained by providing as part of the color applying mechanism a differential device acting on the color applying mechanism to advance or retard the instant action of the color applying mechanism relative to the web and which differential mechanism is in turn controlled by the location on the web of the colored areas about to enter the cigarette making machine.

In the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the dye or other coloring material used is applied to the web in prefixed areas by means of a printer roll and this in turn is supplied by means of a squeeze roll somewhat following conventional structure of printing machines. There are, of course, occasions when it is necessary to interrupt the action of the color applying mechanism from time to time. It has been found that after such interruption there was a messy application of color on the portion of the web next passed for a period of time after the operation was resumed.

Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide for a uniform application of the coloring material even though the operation be interrupted from time to time.

Broadly, this aspect of the invention is attained by moving the squeeze roll out of contact with the printer roll whenever the operation of the printer roll is interrupted and in maintaining the squeeze roll in continuous rotation during the period of time when it is out of contact with the printer roll.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the colored cigarette aspect of the invention;

Fig, 2 is a plan view of the colored portion of the web as it is being fed into the cigarette making machine;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an attachment to a cigarette forming machine, the parts being shown somewhat schematically, for applying color to a white web to form the colored wrappers of Fi 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view in axial section showing a loose driving connection between the printer roll and drive shaft on which it is mounted;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic showing the electrical parts for controlling the differential motor of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is an explanatory view of a part of the electric eye control.

Referring to the finished cigarette a as shown in Fig. 1, it is understood that it is of commercial length and is provided with a wrapper b formed basically of a conventional grade of white cigarette paper. The mid-length portion 0 of the cigarette is of a color contrasting with white and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is intended to be red. At one end of the cigarette is an uncolored band (1 about one-half inch long forming the bite end of the cigarette and at the opposite end is a narrow uncolored band e forming the end of the cigarette to be lit.

The cigarette wrapper b is formed from a long, narrow web 1 as shown in Fig. 2 in which the colored areas 9 are longitudinally spaced apart to provide therebetween uncolored areas It designed to be severed along cut lines 1 to form on opposite sides thereof the bands (I and e in the finished cigarette. The color areas g extend,

from one long edge 1 of the web almost to the opposite long edge It to form an underlapping uncolored cementing strip 1 between the colored area g and the adjacent long edge k. In forming the cigarette as hereinafter described, adhesive is applied along the strip 1 and as the wrapper is turned about the tobacco filling in the cigarette forming machine to form the cigarette rod the uncolored margin strip 1 is located on the inner side of the finished rod leaving the colored side exposed as the continuously colored portions 0 in the finished cigarettes. In this way coloring material may be used which might otherwise affect or be affected by the cementitious or adhesive material used in forming the cigarette rod.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is disclosed symbolically a cigarette forming machine I. of the continuous or rod type. At the discharge and of the machine and operatively connected to be driven by the mechanism therein, is located a conventional form of propeller blade cutting device ll designedtocutthecigarettemdnintocommercial length cigarettes a. The color applying mechanism herein disclosed is intended to constitute an attachment to any of the known forms of cigarette forming machines and it is the intent to operate the attachment in such way as will have no eflect upon the usual operation of such standard machines.

Still following known practices, the web I is drawn from a source of supply such as the spool i2 under tension by mechanism forming part of the machine II. If necessary, tin: spool l2 may be relocated on the machine so as to provide the necessary space to accommodate the color applying mechanism herein featured, and to provide sufficient space between the color applying device and the cigarette forming machine to permit either an air drying of the web wetted by the applied color, or to permit the installation of a drying chamber or other drying apparatus (not shown) between the color applying mechanism and the machine II for the purpose of insuring a sufiiciently dried condition of the colored web before it is fed to the forming, filling and cementing elements within the machine Ill.

The uncolored web is drawn oi! the spool l2 and is passed first over idler roll i2, then over the horizontal pressure roll ll, idler rolls I! and I6, past the registry control I1 and then into the cigarette forming machine II.

The color selected for use is applied to the web f by means oi a printer ll supplied from a color feeding device I! and which printer in turn applies the color to the portion of the web passing between the printer roll 2| and the pressure roll I.

The color feeding device I! comprises a frame 2i pivotally mounted for rocking movement and includes a color reservoir 22 into which dips a pick-up roll 23. The roll 23 supplies color taken from the reservoir to a squeeze roll 24 which is manually adjustable vertically in slots 25 formed in upstanding arms 26 forming part of the frame 2| and projecting above the reservoir 22. It is understood from this structure that squeeze roll 24 is delicately adjusted vertically to the pick-up roll 23 to control the thickness of the color film transferred to the printer roll 22.

Referring to the printer, there are disclosed in axial alignment three shafts forming a power drive for rotating the printer roll 2|. This power drive includes a main shaft 21 driven from the power drive mechanism represented by shaft Oll forming part of the machine ll so that the main shaft 21 rotates in synchronism with the operative parts of the machine ll including the cutting device Il connected to shaft 92 by drive SI.

The main shaft is in normal driving engagement 38, the latter being normally held against rotation by teeth 30 thereon meshing with worm 40 on the shaft 4| of a reversible type motor 42. From this construction, it is seen that the rotation of the ring gear will alter the position of the printer roll relative to the web I and to the cutting device Ii which is beyond the cigarette forming machine "fat the opposite end of the machine.

The printer roll." is loose on shaft (see Fig. 4) and is provided at its periphery with two circumferentially spaced apart printing plates 43 and 44 each having a smooth face printing surface of the same dimension and equal to the area of the colored areas g. These printing plates are preferably formed of rubber or other approved forms of plate usual for transferring large areas of color to a travelling web. The adjacent ends of the plates are spaced apart a distance to provide the uncolored area h between adjacent colored pOrtions of the web. The printer roll is provided with a crown-headed hub 45 and is held from movement in one direction by a stop collar 48 secured to the shaft 30. The hub 45 and the printer roll are driven from the shaft 30 through a crown-headed collar 4! provided with a slot 48 in which extends pin Ill from the shaft. The cam forming serrated edges of the hub and collar 41 are maintained to provide a loose driving connection between the shaft and printer roll by means of a spring 5| bearing at one end on the collar 41 and on its opposite end on a stop 52 secured to the free end of the shaft 30.

By means of this construction, it is possible to readjust the position of the printer relative to the web as hereinafter described without the printing plates smearing the web during the periods of readjustment and reengagement. The shaft 30 may be given a slight rotation by the operation of the differential 3| during the instant of time while one of the printing plates is in its printing engagement with the web. As the peripheral speeds of the printing plate and web are equal at this time, the web will tend to hold the plate, and with it the printer roll 20, from either increasing or decreasing its speed for the time being. This means that shaft 30 may be given a slight rotary movement in either direction and which will have the effect of causing th cam teeth on the hub 45 to ride up slightly on the cam teeth on the crown collar 41 without any effect except, of course, to shift the crown collar axially with incidental further compression of the resetting spring 5|. However, as the plates 43-44 move to bring the next succeeding recess between their ends opposite the web, the holding effect on the web will be momentarily released and this will permit spring 5| to push the crown collar to the right and thus shift the now free printer roll to restore the printer roll rotatively into that adjusted position setby the previously rotatively adjusted printer shaft. In the particular set-up illustrated, a counter clockwise rotation of the ring gear 38 will advance the impressions made by the printing plates while a clockwise rotation of the ring gear will retard them.

The motor 42 is so regulated by the registry out line i to insure the formation of the cigarette 16 as shown in Fig. 1 so that every cigarette will be exactly like every other cigarette. This is attained by a photo-electric cell type of electric mechanism for actuating and controlling the direction of rotation of the motor 42. In the showing in Fig. 5, the printed web I is represented by a line of alternate heavy and light portions corresponding respectively to the colored and uncolored portions of the web and which web is caused to pass through the registry control II. This control includes two photo-electric cells 53 and 54 mounted in housings 55 and 58 located beneath the web, each housing having a rectangular opening 51 and 58 facing the web. Above the web is a lamp 59 with its housing 60 provided with two rectangular openings GI and 62 located close to the web and directly opposite the openings 51 and 58. The all-over span of the openings corresponds to the distance between adjacent colored portions that is, to the length of the uncolored area h. The photo-electric cells 53 and 54 are connected to magnets 83 and 64 of a double acting relay 65 through commutators B6 and 61. These commutators are driven from the mechanism of the cigarette making machine through a drive connection 92 and are timed to operate in synchronism with the action of the cutting device ll so as to complete the circuits through the magnets 63 and 64 for a brief interval during each revolution of the commutators at the exact instant when an uncolored portion h of the web should be exactly opposite the openings as in dicated in Fig. 5. So long as the uncolored portions of the web register exactly with the photoelectric cell registry device ll, motor 42 remains inactive and this is the normal condition of the corrective device.

To show a condition in which the differential device operates, reference is made to the explanatory showing in Fig. 6. In this case it is noted that an uncolored portion of the web is early in its arrival at the registry control and thus at the cutting knife and to correct this in the succeeding colored areas the printer roll must be advanced. In this case, the light passing through opening 62 is obstructed by a colored portion a of the web while light passing through the opening 8| is intercepted only by an uncolored portion 71. of the web, the following colored portion not yet having reached the opening 6|. Under these conditions the intensity of the light impinging on the photoelectric sell 53 will be greater than that impinging on the cell 54 and the current flow through magnet 63 will be correspondingly greater than that through the magnet 64. The arinature 68 of relay 65 will be pulled tothe left closing the circuit through magnet 69' which, in turn, will attract armature II and start motor 42 in the direction which will rotate ring gear 38 in a clockwise direction thus retarding the printing plates relative to the web as previously described. As the resulting printed areas are retarded, the currently active differential through magnets 63 and 64 will be reduced gradually until the condition shown in Fig. 5 has been reestablished, their power becomes substantially equal and armature II will resume its circuit breaking position opening the circuit and thus stoppin the motor.

Referring to the color feeding device IS, the pick-up roll 23 is mounted in the frame 2| on a pick-up roll shaft 12. This shaft is normally rotated from the printer shaft 30 through a chain and sprocket drive 13 and through a one-way clutch 14 operating to drive the shaft 12 in a counter clockwise direction. It is the intent to drive the pick-up roll at relatively high speed, say, 300 R. P. M. Thus, under normal driving conditions, power is taken from the main drive shaft 21, through the main clutch 20, through the diflerential device ll, through the chain and sprocket drive I3. through the one-way clutch 14 -to the pick-up roll 23 and hence to the squeeze roll 24 which at this time is in bearing engagement with the color applying plates 4! and 44 on the printer roll 2|. Means are provided for interrupting the power drive from the main shaft 21 and for this purpose the main clutch 2| is controlled by a hand lever 14. The parts are so arranged that moving of the hand lever in one direction will shift the main clutch into its inactive, nonclutching position.

It has been found preferable to keep the pickup roll 23 and squeeze roll 24 rotating during the period while the printer is inactive and for this purpose means are provided for moving the squeeze roll 24 into an inoperative position away from the printing plates simultaneously with the movement of the main clutch into its inoperative position and at the same time to drive the pickup roll from another source or power independently of the normal source of power originating in the machine it and acting through the main shaft 21. For the purpose of swinging squeeze roll 24 out of contact with plates 43 and 44 the frame 2| is rockably mounted to swing about the axis of the pick-up roll and it shaft 12. The pick-up roll 23 may also be driven from shaft 12 through pulley l loose on shaft 12 and driving the same through a one-way clutch 11. The pulley II is belted to a slow speed electric motor 14. Pressure roller i4 is mounted on bracket 93 and is normally in position to press the web against the plates 43 and 44.

The frame 2i and bracket 03 are rocked to and from their position with the squeeze roll 24 en- Ka the printer roll through control mechanism connected to the throw-out yoke 19 of the main clutch 29. This control mechanism includes a shaft 80, lever II and link 22 for rocking shaft 43 which, in turn, is provided with an arm 84 and link I! connected to an ear 88 forming a projection from the frame 2i. Also secured to the shaft 48 is the movable element 81 of switch 14 connected through wiring 8! to close the circuit through motor 18. From this construction it will be seen that moving the hand lever 14 to disconfeatured. The device therefore is entirely automatic in its operation and insures the proper locatingofthecoloredarcasgintheflnlshedeigarette so that every cigarette is an exact duplicate of every other cigarette even though the printing operation in action for the time being may create momentary variations in the wetted web in the part thereof just before it reaches the cigarette forming machine.

I claim:

1. In a machine for making wrappers'having a colored portion at their mldlcngths and uncolored end bands. the combination with mechanism including means for drawing a web of paper from a source along a treating path and through said mechanism, and cutting means beyond said mechanism and timed for severing the wrappers into commercial lengths. of a printer including a printer roll located to apply longitudinally spaced apart areas of color to the paper web while in said path, the portion of the web path between the printer and said mechanism being exposed for drying the web wetted by the printer, an electric eye form of control between the printer and said mechanism and operatively controlled by the colored areas on the web, said printer including a main drive including a differential mechanism 4 for rotating the printer roll relative to the web nect the main clutch 2! will simultaneously swing the color feeding device I! into an inoperative position and will at the same time close the circuit through the auxiliary motor 14 to cause it to become active and in this way maintain the pick-up and squeeze rolls rotating even though the balance of the printer is inoperative for the time being. I

In operation and assuming that the machine is initially set to have the component mechanism of the machine II and the cutter H operate in proper timed sequence, the paper web is drawn from the source of supply (2 by the machine II, is passed through the printer ll arranged to have the colored areas located thereon and is then subjected to a drying step before the printed web reaches the cigarette making machine. This machine operates conventionally to insert the tobacco filler on the web; and to apply the usual adhesive thereto, in this case along the uncolored margin 1 provided therefor. The wrapper is formed, the overlapped edges pasted together and the cigarette rod m formed as is usual with such devices, after which the rod is out on by the cutto relocate the colored areas on the web, a reversible motor for controlling the action of said differential mechanism to cause the printer roll to locate the colored area on the web in such spaced relation to the cutting means as will cause the cutting means to sever the wrappers across the uncolored bands between the colored areas, and power means normally operatively connected to drive said mechanism, the printer drive and the cutting means in unison.

2. A machine including mechanism for form- ,ing a continuous rod, of easily severable and wrapped material, severing means for cutting the across which the severing means operate to cut oil the commercial lengths from the rodirrespective of any incidental extensions or shrinkage of material between the printer and the severing means, said printer being spaced in advance of the forming mechanism a distance sumcient to permit the colored areas to dry before the web reaches said forming mechanism.

3. In a machine for coloring wrappers, the combination with a machine including means for drawing a web of paper conventionally from a supply roll through the machine, of an attachment for applying longitudinally and equidistantly spaced apart areas of color of equal length to the web between the supply roll and the machine, means for momentarily speeding up or retarding the action of said attachment relative to the travel of the web past the same, automatic control means for said last named means governed by the location of the areas on the web as these areas are about to enter the machine for resetting the attachment relative to the portion of the web at that instant passing the attachmen to govern the place on the web at which it applies the color whereby the spacing of the colored areas is uniform while the web is in the machine irrespective of any unequal stretching or shrinking which may occur in the web by reason of the wetting of the same by the application of the color to the web.

4. The combination with a machine including means for feeding a web of paper therethrough, of means including a printing roll for applying longitudinally spaced apart areas of color to the web as it is fed to, the machine, leaving uncolored areas between the colored areas, a power means for driving the printing roll and including a differential-adjusting means including a reversible motor for rotatively adjusting the printer roll relative to the web as it passes the same, a'control for said motor located adjacent said machine and including two photo-electric cells, each having a rectangular opening facing the colored web and controlled by the colored and uncolored areas on the web as the web passes said control, the over-all space of said openings being equal to the length of the uncolored areas, means forming two relay circuits, each circuit including one of the photo-electric cells, a commutator driven in synchronism with the cutting means and operating to close the circuit in a timed sequence with the operation of the cutting means, and one of the magnets of. a double acting relay and circuit closing means controlled by the armature of said relay for selectively actuating said motor and for controlling its direction of rotation whereby the preceding location of the colored areas on the web control the locating of the succeeding colored areas on the web.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with mechanism for drawing a length of web along a printing and drying path and for severing the same into preset lengths, of aprinter including a printing roll for applying spaced apart areas of color to the web before it enters said mechanism, leaving uncolored bands between the colored areas, said roll having a peripheral speed substantially equal to that of the speed of the web engaging the same, adjusting means operatively connected to the printing roll for momentarily varying the peripheral speed of the printing roll relative to the speed of the web as it passes the same, and control means adjacent to and in advance of the cutting mechanism automatically controlled by the succeeding colored and uncolored areas of the web and operatively connected to said adjusting means to cause it to act on the printing roll for rotatively resetting the same in its relation to the web to cause the cutting mechanism to sever the web along succeeding severing lines located in the uncolored bands and in spaced relation to the adjacent ends of the colored areas.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a printer roll, means for driving the roll. means for feeding a web past the roll in position to cause the roll to apply succeeding and spaced apart areas of color to the web and to advance the web along a path beyond the roll, driving mechanism interconnecting the roll driving means with the web feeding means to cause the peripheral speed of the roll normally to be equal to the speed of the web, said roll driving means including a normally inactive reversible motor for momentarily advancing or retarding the rotation of the roll to reset it relative to the web and electrically actuated means facing the web at a fixed point in said path and controlled by the instant location of the colored areas for regulating the activity and direction of rotation of said motor and thus the resetting of the printing roll to control the points along the ,web at which the printing roll applies the color areas.

7. In a machine for applying color to a web, the combination of a main power drive provided with a color applying roll, said drive including differential mechanism and a reversible motor for selectively advancing or retarding the rotative speed of the roll, means for feeding a web in op-- erative relation to have the roll apply color to the same in spaced apart areas, and a photo-electric control for the motor in turn operatively controlled by the location of the color areas on the web whereby a previously applied color area will control the locating on the web of the currently applied color.

8. In a machine for applying spaced apart areas of color to a web, the combination of a main drive shaft, a printer roll loose on the shaft and provided on its periphery with at least one printing plate having its ends circumferentially spaced apart, leaving at least one recess in the periphery of the printer roll, a spring pressed clutch forming a flexible driving connection between the shaft and the printer roll permitting a slipping of the shaft relative to the printer roll when its printing plate is in engagement with the web, means for feeding a web past the printer roll to receive the color therefrom, means for feeding color to the printer roll, means for driving the main shaft, the web feed and the color feed in unison, and means for rotatively adjusting the main shaft relative to the web movement and incidentally placing the flexible driving connection under tension, said printer roll being free to readjust itself relative to the shaft by virtue of the tension in said flexible driving connection during the period of time when the recess is opposite the web.

9. In a machine for applying color to a web, the combination of a pressure roll, a main drive shaft, a printer roll loose on the shaft, said roll provided on its periphery with a printing plate and having a recess at one end of the plate, means for passing a web between the printing plate and the pressure roll in position to have the plate apply color under pressure to the web, means for rotatably adjusting the drive shaft relative to the printer roll to relocate the place on the web where color is to be applied, and a spring pressed clutch providing a slip driving connection between the shaft and the printer roll operating to permit a slight rotation of the shaft relative to the printer roll and acting to reset the normal driving relation between the shaft and printer roller during the time the recess is opposite the web and thus when the printer plate is out of contact with the web.

10. A control system for a machine having web feeding means, a printer operating upon the web to apply areas of spaced apart color to the web as it is moved past the same by the feeding means, and interconnected driving mechanism for actuating the feeding means, and the printer in'unison, comprising means including a differential device for controlling said printer, a reversible motor for controlling said differential device and means including light sensitive means cooperating with the colored areas on said web for actuating said motor in either direction to correct a'leading or lagging condition of the colored areas on said strip.

11. An attachment for a cigarette making machine provided with mechanism for advancing a web of cigarette paper therethrough, said attachment including a printer roll provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart printing plates for applying spaced apart areas of color to the web before it is passed into said machine, a drive for said printing roll including a diiferential drive, a driving connection between said web advancing mechanism and said printer roll drive for causing the web normally to pass the printer roll at its peripheral speed, said differential drive operating to provide an angular variation between the printing roll and the web advancing mechanism thereby to relocate the relation between the web and the printing plates as the web moves past the printer roll, a reversible motor for controlling the differential drive and means controlled solely by the location of the colored areas on the web for controlling the motor whereby the locations of the areas on an advanced portion of the web control the locating on the web of the succeeding colored areas.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a power drive including in order a main shaft, a main clutch, a differential drive and a printer shaft, a printer roll on the printer shaft and normally driven through said device from the main shaft, a'reversible type motor for controlling the diiIerential drive, a squeeze roll for applying color to the printer roll, a driving connection between the squeeze roll and the printer shaft, manually actuated control means operably associated with the main clutch for moving the squeeze roll into an inoperative position when the clutch is moved into an inoperative unclutching position, means operating in synchronism with the main shaft for feeding a web past the printer roll in position to have the printer roll apply coloring material to the web, and electric means for controlling said motor including an electric eye controlled solely by the location of the color previously applied by the printer roll on the web.

13. In a machine for applying color to a web, the combination of a printer roll, a main power drive for the same, means for feeding a web in position to have the printer roll apply color thereto, means including a squeeze roll for feeding color to the printer roll, means for moving the squeeze roll to and from its operative engagement with the printer roll, a normally operative driving connection between main drive and the color feeding means to cause the printer roll and the color feeding means to operate in unison and a supplemental power drive independent of the main power drive for keeping the squeeze roll rotating when the main power drive and printer roll are inactive.

14. In a machine for applying color to a web, the combination of a printer roll, means including a squeeze roll having an operative position for applying color to the printer roll and having an inoperative idling position, power means normally operative for driving the printer roll and squeeze roll in unison, control means for moving the color applying means to and from its operative engagement with the printer roll, a motor for driving the squeeze roll independently of said power means and a switch for controlling the motor, said switch being operatively associated with the control means to cause the motor to become active automatically on the moving of the color applying means out of its operative engagement with the printer roll whereby the squeeze roll is caused to continue to rotate when removed from the printer roll by the action of said motor.

15. The combination of a printer roll, a main power drive including a control clutch normally operative for driving the printer roll, means normally driven from the main power drive and including a floating squeeze roll for applying color to the printer roll, a manually actuated control operatively connected with the clutch and color applying mean for moving said means into an inoperative position simultaneously with the movement of the clutch into position to disconnect the squeeze roll from the main drive thereby to interrupt the operation of the squeeze roll and printer roll from the main power drive. and

a supplemental power drive for rotating the squeeze roll when disconnected from the main power drive.

16. In a machine for applying color to a web, the combination of a printing roll, means including a squeeze roll for applying color to the printing roll, a mounting for the squeeze roll for moving the same to and from its engagement with the printing roll, interconnected main driving means for driving the printing roll and the squeeze roll in unison, supplemental power means for rotating the squeeze roll and control mechanism operatively connected to cause the last named power means to become operative when the mounting has been moved out of engagement with the printing roll.

17. In a printing machine, the combination of a printing roll, a color applying device including a squeeze roll and a pick-up roll in operative engagement to transfer color to the printing roll, a shiftable frame in which the squeeze and pick-up rolls are journalled, manually actuated control means for moving the frame to and from a position in which the squeeze roll supplies color to the printing roll and means for maintaining the pick-up and squeeze rolls in rotation in all positions of the frame.

18. In a machine for applying color to a web, the combination of a printing roll, means including a squeeze roll for applying color to the printing roll, interconnected driving means for rotating the printing roll and the squeeze roll at the same peripheral speed, control means for and for interrupting the driving connection with the printing roll and power means operable independently of said interconnected driving means for rotating the squeeze roll when so separated from the printing roll,

19. In a machine for applying color to a web, the combination of a printer roll, means including a squeeze roll normally in operative engagement with the printer roll to supply color thereto, control means for moving the color supply means to and from a position providing an operative engagement with the printer roll and to and from an idling position, and means for rotating the squeeze roll while in either of said positions.

20. In a machine for forming lengths of colored wrappers each with an uncolored end, the combination of means defining a web traversing path and including in order a printer for applying wet coloring material to a paper web to form thereon spaced apart areas with incidental wetting of the web by the wet materials, a device for forming said web into a wrapper and a severing device for successively severing the wrapper into the desired lengths of wrappers, a driving connection between the printer and severing device normally connected to effect one printing operation to each severing operation, said driving connection includin a timing device controlled by the printed areas as they approach the severing device for causing the severing device to cut the wrapper across the uncolored bands between the colored areas irrespective of any creeping or lagging in the wetted web after it leaves the printer.

21. Mechanism for coloring a web of cigarette wrapper paper before it is passed into the cigarette forming machine, including the combination of a printer for printing one side of the paper web while in motion with succeeding areas of a liquid dye, said areas havin a length slightly less than the length of a commercial cigarette leaving an uncolored band between the colored areas for forming a bite end to the finished cigarette, said printer being spaced in advance of the forming machine a distance suificient to per-- mil; the colored areas to dry before the web reaches the forming machine, means for normally driving the printer at a peripheral speed equal to that of the web as it passes the same, and a control for said last named driving means in turn controlled by the location of the color areas on the web whereby an area to which color has been previously applied will control the locating on the web of the area to which color is being currently applied.

22. In a diameter of the class described, the combination with mechanism for drawing a length of web along a printin and drying path and for severing the same into preset lengths, of a printer provided with a printing roll operatively engaging the web while in said path to apply color thereto alongspaced apart areas and means operatively controlled by variations in a prefixed spacing of the adjacent ends of the colored areas relative to said path at the instant of actuation of the severing device for rotatively adjusting the printing roll relative to the web to insure the timing of the cutting mechanism to sever the web between succeeding colored areas.

HARRY FRIEDWALD. 

